Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Christabel N. Hikaambo, Natalia Shakela, John G. Woodland, Kathryn J. Wicht, Kelly Chibale
Summary: Zoonotic and related infections pose a significant health threat to Africa, the world's second-most populous continent. Despite the challenges faced by drug discovery scientists, recent progress in identifying potential medicines across diverse disease areas brings optimism and indicates African-led scientific initiatives are making progress.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Riward Campelo Morillo, Chantal T. Harris, Kit Kennedy, Samuel R. Henning, Bjorn F. C. Kafsack
Summary: We adapted a CUT&RUN protocol for profiling chromatin modifications in Plasmodium, a human malaria parasite. Using a step-by-step protocol, we obtained high-quality profiles of histone modifications with a small fraction of cells compared to ChIP-seq. The CUT&RUN profiling showed high reproducibility and closely matched ChIP-seq-based profiles of histone marks. Furthermore, CUT&RUN required lower sequencing coverage for accurate profiling compared to ChIP-seq.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Manish Goyal, Karina Simantov, Ron Dzikowski
Summary: SR proteins play an important role in eukaryotic gene expression by regulating splicing events and acting as key regulators of RNA metabolism. Plasmodium parasites encode several SR proteins, which might have noncanonical functions in addition to splicing regulation.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Alyssa E. Barry
Summary: Researchers have developed innovative methods for single-cell sequencing of P. vivax infections, providing new insights into the intrahost diversity and evolution of the parasite.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Celia Miguel-Blanco, James M. Murithi, Ernest Diez Benavente, Fiona Angrisano, Katarzyna A. Sala, Donelly A. van Schalkwyk, Manu Vanaerschot, Frank Schwach, Matthew J. Fuchter, Oliver Billker, Colin J. Sutherland, Susana G. Campino, Taane G. Clark, Andrew M. Blagborough, David A. Fidock, Esperanza Herreros, Francisco Javier Gamo, Jake Baum, Michael J. Delves
Summary: New antimalarial therapeutics are urgently needed to combat emerging parasite and mosquito resistance. Intense drug screening efforts have identified promising new antimalarial molecules with novel modes of action to combat existing drug resistance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Siqi Wang, Fang Huang, He Yan, Jianhai Yin, Zhigui Xia
Summary: China has successfully eliminated malaria, but still faces challenges in the post-elimination stage. Imported malaria cases pose a significant threat, and monitoring molecular markers of drug resistance is crucial for effective treatment. This review focuses on the mutation frequency and distribution of drug resistance-related loci in indigenous and imported malaria cases in China, providing important insights for drug resistance surveillance and prevention of local transmission in the future.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anurag Daware, Ankit Malik, Rishi Srivastava, Durdam Das, Ranjith K. K. Ellur, Ashok K. K. Singh, Akhilesh K. K. Tyagi, Swarup K. K. Parida
Summary: The advent of the pangenome era has uncovered previously unknown genetic variation in diverse crop plants, but conventional single-reference genotyping methods often fail to capture a large portion of this variation, leading to reference bias. To overcome this, a Rice Pangenome Genotyping Array (RPGA) was developed, enabling rapid genotyping based on the entire 3K rice pangenome. This array provides a cost-effective solution and has been successfully applied in various areas, such as genome-wide association studies, population structure analysis, and marker-assisted selection.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
T. E. Lee, S. Bonhoeffer, M. A. Penny
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a complex health problem, and we have developed a new model to study the dynamics and competition of resistance.
RESULTS IN PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Andreina Pacheco, Randall E. Junge, Adithyan Menon, Jon McRoberts, Gediminas Valkiunas, Ananias A. Escalante
Summary: This study found six Plasmodium lineages in lemurs, indicating that lemurs play a role in the transmission of malaria parasites. The analysis of mitochondrial genomes and apicoplast loci suggests that the lemur Plasmodium clade shares a common ancestor with primate parasites from continental Africa, and the most lethal malaria parasite in humans, Plasmodium falciparum, may have originated from African apes. Furthermore, the study revealed a close phylogenetic relationship between lemurs and their parasites, with evidence of cospeciation, duplication, and host switching events.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Mariko Kanai, Tomas Yeo, Victor Asua, Philip J. Rosenthal, David A. Fidock, Sachel Mok
Summary: The study presents a SNP-based genotyping method that enables the rapid characterization of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. The method utilizes both multiplexed fragment analysis and gel electrophoresis to distinguish different strains. The results demonstrate the potential applications of the method in drug resistance screening, verifying SNP-editing, identifying novel genetic cross progeny, and inferring geographical origins.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yanjun Chen, Suzhen Niu, Xinyue Deng, Qinfei Song, Limin He, Dingchen Bai, Yingqin He
Summary: This study identified 100,829 SNP markers and candidate genes associated with tea leaf traits through genotyping-by-sequencing and GWAS analysis of tea germplasm in Guizhou Plateau. The findings provide a theoretical and practical basis for genetic breeding of related traits in tea plant leaves.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruirui Zhao, Shanshan Cai, Dingfang Lu, Pengfei Li, Shengyong Xu, Yuan Li
Summary: This study compared the genomes of wild and domesticated white-spotted bamboo sharks using resequencing data, revealing that the domesticated sample had a larger genome size and higher heterozygosity. Through the identification of microsatellite markers and SNPs, genetic differences between wild and domesticated populations were uncovered.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Manon Alkema, X. Zen Yap, Gerdie M. de Jong, Isaie J. Reuling, Quirijn de Mast, Reinout van Crevel, Christian F. Ockenhouse, Katharine A. Collins, Teun Bousema, Matthew B. B. McCall, Robert W. Sauerwein
Summary: Malaria infection caused by Plasmodium falciparum through mosquito bites induces stronger inflammation response in healthy volunteers compared to intravenous administration of infected red blood cells.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Colleen M. Leonard, Hussein Mohammed, Mekonnen Tadesse, Jessica N. McCaffery, Doug Nace, Eric S. Halsey, Samuel Girma, Ashenafi Assefa, Jimee Hwang, Eric Rogier
Summary: This study investigated whether mixed infections were missed by microscopy in a therapeutic efficacy study in Ethiopia. The results showed that even with multiple trained readers, microscopy can miss P. falciparum/P. vivax mixed infections.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Shou-En Wu, Wei Liang Chen
Summary: The study investigated sarcopenia-related SNPs in Asian older adults and created a genotype score to test the combined effect of these SNPs on sarcopenia risk. Results revealed significant associations between SNPs and sarcopenic indices, with higher genotype scores linked to increased sarcopenia risk.
JOURNAL OF INFLAMMATION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah J. Tarr, Chrislaine Withers-Martinez, Helen R. Flynn, Ambrosius P. Snijders, Laura Masino, Konstantinos Koussis, David J. Conway, Michael J. Blackman
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Silva Pereira, Kayo J. G. de Almeida Castilho Neto, Craig W. Duffy, Peter Richards, Harry Noyes, Moses Ogugo, Marcos Rogerio Andre, Zakaria Bengaly, Steve Kemp, Marta M. G. Teixeira, Rosangela Z. Machado, Andrew P. Jackson
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Prince B. Nyarko, Sarah J. Tarr, Yaw Aniweh, Lindsay B. Stewart, David J. Conway, Gordon A. Awandare
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hampate Ba, Sarah Auburn, Christopher G. Jacob, Sonia Goncalves, Craig W. Duffy, Lindsay B. Stewart, Ric N. Price, Yacine Boubou Deh, Mamadou Yero Diallo, Abderahmane Tandia, Dominic P. Kwiatkowski, David J. Conway
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Delphine Autheman, Cecile Crosnier, Simon Clare, David A. Goulding, Cordelia Brandt, Katherine Harcourt, Charlotte Tolley, Francis Galaway, Malhar Khushu, Han Ong, Alessandra Romero-Ramirez, Craig W. Duffy, Andrew P. Jackson, Gavin J. Wright
Summary: A systematic genome-led approach identified protective invariant subunit vaccine antigens for Trypanosoma vivax, providing a vaccine candidate for the important parasitic disease that has constrained socioeconomic development in sub-Saharan Africa. The study showed that highly protective vaccines against trypanosome infections can be achieved, despite the parasite's sophisticated immunoprotective mechanisms.
Article
Microbiology
Elisabet Tinto-Font, Lucas Michel-Todo, Timothy J. Russell, Nuria Casas-Vila, David J. Conway, Zbynek Bozdech, Manuel Llinas, Alfred Cortes
Summary: PfAP2-HS is a transcription factor in Plasmodium falciparum that regulates the protective heat-shock response, allowing the parasite to survive and protect against protein damage at elevated temperatures.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gavin Band, Ellen M. Leffler, Muminatou Jallow, Fatoumatta Sisay-Joof, Carolyne M. Ndila, Alexander W. Macharia, Christina Hubbart, Anna E. Jeffreys, Kate Rowlands, Thuy Nguyen, Sonia Goncalves, Cristina Ariani, Jim Stalker, Richard D. Pearson, Roberto Amato, Eleanor Drury, Giorgio Sirugo, Umberto D'Alessandro, Kalifa A. Bojang, Kevin Marsh, Norbert Peshu, Joseph W. Saelens, Mahamadou Diakite, Steve M. Taylor, David J. Conway, Thomas N. Williams, Kirk A. Rockett, Dominic P. Kwiatkowski
Summary: This study found a strong association between host sickle haemoglobin (HbS) and three regions of the parasite genome, which is replicated in additional samples. The protective effect of HbS against severe malaria varies greatly according to the parasite genotype at these three loci, suggesting an evolutionary adaptation of parasite populations to host genetic factors.
Article
Immunology
Katharine A. Collins, Sukai Ceesay, Sainabou Drammeh, Fatou K. Jaiteh, Marc-Antoine Guery, Kjerstin Lanke, Lynn Grignard, Will Stone, David J. Conway, Umberto D'Alessandro, Teun Bousema, Antoine Claessens
Summary: In areas with seasonal Plasmodium falciparum malaria, a reservoir of blood-stage infection during the dry season is crucial for initiating transmission in the wet season. A study in The Gambia found that a significant proportion of individuals infected at the end of the wet season continued to have detectable infections until the end of the dry season. These persistent infections were more likely to have higher parasite densities and be multiclonal compared to short-lived infections. Screening and treating asymptomatic infections during the dry season may help reduce the reservoir of malaria responsible for transmission in the wet season.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Suzanne E. Hocking, Lindsay B. Stewart, Aline Freville, Adam J. Reid, Sarah J. Tarr, Kevin K. A. Tetteh, Christian Flueck, Ambroise D. Ahouidi, Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, Mahamadou Diakite, Gordon A. Awandare, David J. Conway
Summary: This study investigates the natural expression and correlation of MSPDBL2, a merozoite surface protein in Plasmodium falciparum, with other genes involved in sexual development. The results show a unique and highly skewed pattern of natural expression frequencies of MSPDBL2, distinct from any other antigen. The expression of MSPDBL2 is correlated with genes implicated in gametocytogenesis, suggesting its role in the subpopulation preparing for transmission. Furthermore, the study reveals the separate function of the MSPDBL2-positive subpopulation in asexual survival and replication.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alessandra Romero-Ramirez, Aitor Casas-Sanchez, Delphine Autheman, Craig W. Duffy, Cordelia Brandt, Simon Clare, Katherine Harcourt, Marcos Rogerio Andre, Kayo Jose Garcia de Almeida Castilho Neto, Marta M. G. Teixeira, Rosangela Zacharias Machado, Janine Coombes, Robin J. Flynn, Gavin J. Wright, Andrew P. Jackson
Summary: The study examines the immune responses to unique parasite antigens in hosts infected with Trypanosoma vivax and identifies potential vaccine candidates. A gene family called Vivaxin is found to encode transmembrane glycoproteins that elicit a consistent antibody response. Vaccination with a particular antigen, VIV beta 8, delays parasite proliferation but does not prevent disease. Vivaxin, besides being a source of vaccine antigens, is important for host-parasite interactions.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Lindsay B. Stewart, Aline Freville, Till S. Voss, David A. Baker, Gordon A. Awandare, David J. Conway
Summary: Asexual blood-stage malaria parasites must produce sexual progeny for mosquito infection. Two different methods of commitment rate measurement were compared, with higher sensitivity and precision observed in the detection of an early differentiation marker. Clinical isolates and laboratory-adapted lines showed significant variation in commitment rates, and the effects of choline on commitment varied quantitatively.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Antoine Claessens, Lindsay B. Stewart, Eleanor Drury, Ambroise D. Ahouidi, Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, Mahamadou Diakite, Dominic P. Kwiatkowski, Gordon A. Awandare, David J. Conway
Summary: Experimental studies on malaria parasites have mainly been focused on laboratory-adapted lines, providing limited understanding of natural infections. This study analyzed genome sequence data from West African isolates to explore the genetic diversity and adaptation of parasites during culture. Loss-of-function mutants were found in multiple-genotype isolates, affecting genes observed in single-genotype isolates. The study also revealed non-identical sibling parasites, illustrating the natural genetic structure within endemic populations.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Lindsay B. Stewart, Ofelia Diaz-Ingelmo, Antoine Claessens, James Abugri, Richard D. Pearson, Sonia Goncalves, Eleanor Drury, Dominic P. Kwiatkowski, Gordon A. Awandare, David J. Conway
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Suzanne E. Hocking, Paul C. S. Divis, Khamisah A. Kadir, Balbir Singh, David J. Conway
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Paul C. S. Divis, Ting H. Hu, Khamisah A. Kadir, Dayang S. A. Mohammad, King C. Hii, Cyrus Daneshvar, David J. Conway, Balbir Singh
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)